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Thread: Nitrates Rising... Help!

  1. #1
    Registered Member Tanja's Avatar
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    Exclamation Nitrates Rising... Help!

    Dear Discus Fam,

    I have 4 discus (4-5 inches), 2 german blue rams, 5 pygmy cory cats, and 3 panda garra catfish in a 90 gallon tank. My nitrates are rising like crazy, and I don't understand why.

    I was gone for 3 days. I did a 50% water change and a massive cleaning of the tank 2 days before I left, and a 20% water change the night before I left. When I left my nitrates were at 5-10. No feedings at all while I was gone. I come back and nitrates had spiked to 40!!! In 3 days only.

    I need to do 50% water changes twice weekly just to keep the nitrates at 20. Is this normal with my kind of stocking levels? Should I get rid of some fish? Or is it my filter? I have a fluval fx4 canister filter, which I clean bi-weekly, or once in 3 weeks.

    Any recommendations, anyone???

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    Registered Member + MVP danotaylor's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrates Rising... Help!

    A healthy biological filter produces nitrates, not removed them, so adding more filtration will not solve the issue. Have you tested your source water for nitrates?

    When you are feeding what foods & how often do you feed?

    Each time you change 50% when your nitrate reading is 20+ you are only halving it at best, seems to me like you have a nitrate creep over time that has resulted in this experience. Increasing your water change frequency and/or % will correct this.

    The other thing is fish respiration also produces waste that is converted to nitrate, so even when not feeding nitrates will naturally rise.

    Unless you do a close to 100% water change at least once a week your nitrates never get to 0 and then slowly creeps back up again.
    Last edited by danotaylor; 12-26-2019 at 03:37 PM.

  3. #3
    Registered Member Tanja's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrates Rising... Help!

    @ danotaylor Thank you so much for the response! No nitrates in my source water, but some ammonia is released from the chloramines whenever I do a water change.

    "Each time you change 50% when your nitrate reading is 20+ you are only halving it at best, seems to me like you have a nitrate creep over time that has resulted in this experience. Increasing your water change frequency and/or % will correct this."

    This is what I suspected. I only have 4 discus though in a 90 gallon and the other fish are very small waste producers. I was wondering if maybe my canister is contributing to the nitrates... But I don't want to replace it in case it's not the culprit.

  4. #4

    Default Re: Nitrates Rising... Help!

    I don't believe you have a high bioload given the tank size and fish as far as canister filters I have never been a fan of them I have had them but I have since gotten rid of all mine, if you keep the canister I would clean every 2 weeks and see if that doesn't help

    Jeanne

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    Administrator jeep's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrates Rising... Help!

    Hi Tanja!! I agree that you should not be over stocked and that the issue is filtration. I'm not a canister person, but I think Jeanne is correct in suggesting to spread out the cleanings. Also, you can try adding a pre-filter to the intake so less debris ever enters the canister and spread cleaning out even more. I only use sponges and clean about once every 3 months and my nitrates are <5 even if I skip a water change or two...

  6. #6
    Registered Member Tanja's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrates Rising... Help!

    Thank you everyone for your help. I was wondering how often you guys feed your fish, how much and what foods do you give them? I wonder if I may be overfeeding them too.

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    Registered Member + MVP danotaylor's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrates Rising... Help!

    Tanya tell us about your food choices and feeding schedule please

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    Registered Member Tanja's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrates Rising... Help!

    @ danotaylor I feed them Sera Discus Granules twice daily, and I supplement with beef heart or brine shrimp once daily. I give them a lot of food because I was told they should eat between 1-2% of body weight. It usully takes them about a half an hour to be done with the food. I recently moved away from Discus Hans flake foods but even this granulated food is VERY messy.

    Did you have any recommendations in terms of food?

  9. #9
    Registered Member bluelagoon's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrates Rising... Help!

    Your nitrates are going to rise more quickly than those folks on a well or natural water. You're adding amonnia every time you change your water. Chloramine is part amonnia and the filter converts it to last stage which is nitrate. Plus everything else that was mentioned such as a dirty filter, left over food that gets in the filter and mostly respiration from the fish. These days more greater and frequent WC's are the way most sucessful hobbiests do it. The old days where 25% WC was good enough. These days with more water being changed is the way to go. I have noticed that my fish don't get sick anymore because of greater and more frequent WC's. When I see folks changing 20-25% WC's ,I'm thinking what's the point, unless it's straight from the top, which can be dangerous if greater amounts are preformed. For me it's a waste of time.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Nitrates Rising... Help!

    You are still growing out your discus and feeding to meet caloric needs to maximize size. Would consider daily water changes and adjust % on the basis of target level NO3 by testing just prior to water change. Also are you pausing your filtration during feeding, if no then a fair amount of food is going into the filter and emerging as nitrate. If you are concerned in re remembering to restart (I do, due to occasionally suffering senior moments, unfortunately that has been happening since I was a teen). Also if you have the time may want to vacuum just after feeding, the detritus that does not get filtered is also not contributing to nitrate levels.

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    Default Re: Nitrates Rising... Help!

    Half an hour is a very long time to leave uneaten food in your tank, any food that isn't eaten within five minutes should be removed or better yet only give your fish enough food that it will all be eaten within five minutes.
    If your nitrates are suddenly rising compared to usual I would also maybe check to see if all your fish are alive, a dead fish that can't be seen rotting behind a rock or piece of driftwood could cause a spike.
    Last edited by JJOZ; 12-30-2019 at 08:37 AM.

  12. #12
    Moderator Team LizStreithorst's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrates Rising... Help!

    The only solution I know to lowering nitrates is WC. I have no idea why your nitrates are rising with your stocking level, though. If you're talking about the tank in your avatar I see that it is not planted. Am I correct? BTW, I do not agree with the 5 minute rule. Discus are slow eaters and enjoy browsing along the bottom at a leisurely pace.
    Last edited by LizStreithorst; 12-30-2019 at 09:15 AM.
    Mama Bear

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    Silver Member Willie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrates Rising... Help!

    Suggest you take tap and tank water samples to a LFS and ask them to do a nitrate test. Let's confirm the readings before making drastic changes.

    Separately, massive feedings and small water changes are inherently incompatible. Either reduce your feeding or increase the amount of water you change.

    Good luck, Willie
    At my age, everything is irritating.

  14. #14
    Registered Member Tanja's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrates Rising... Help!

    Quote Originally Posted by Willie View Post
    Suggest you take tap and tank water samples to a LFS and ask them to do a nitrate test. Let's confirm the readings before making drastic changes.

    Separately, massive feedings and small water changes are inherently incompatible. Either reduce your feeding or increase the amount of water you change.

    Good luck, Willie
    Thank you Willie. I think I Have been feeding more food relative to the amount of water changed. They've been rising by about 20 ppm every week. I'll change 50% twice a week and see if that helps.

  15. #15
    Registered Member Tanja's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nitrates Rising... Help!

    Quote Originally Posted by LizStreithorst View Post
    The only solution I know to lowering nitrates is WC. I have no idea why your nitrates are rising with your stocking level, though. If you're talking about the tank in your avatar I see that it is not planted. Am I correct? BTW, I do not agree with the 5 minute rule. Discus are slow eaters and enjoy browsing along the bottom at a leisurely pace.
    Thank you Liz. It is not planted but I have 5 tiny anubias plants and 2 javaferns and 3 moss balls in there. I also have 2 huge chunks of driftwood and was wondering if these could be contributing to the nitrates?

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